moon_guardfandomcom-20200213-history
Rhodri Brancaster
|Row 3 title = Age |Row 3 info = 21 (D.O.B. July 2nd 16 L.C.) |Row 4 title = Birthplace |Row 4 info = Mersey-upon-Wyre,Duchy of Avorraine |Row 5 title = Residence |Row 5 info = Stormwind City |Row 6 title = Relatives |Row 6 info = Edric Brancaster, Father Janelle Davis, Mother † *Romund Brancaster, Brother *Jon Brancaster, Brother Ken Davis, Cousin |Row 7 title = Marital Status |Row 7 info = Single |Row 8 title = Occupation |Row 8 info = Soldier |Row 9 title = Titles |Row 9 info = Fastest Man Alive |Row 10 title = Status |Row 10 info = }} * |Row 2 title = Branch |Row 2 info = |Row 3 title = Term of Service |Row 3 info = September 17th, 37 L.C. - Present Day |Row 4 title = Rank |Row 4 info = Private First Class |Row 5 title = Unit |Row 5 info = * |Row 6 title = Battles/Wars |Row 6 info = Broken Isles Campaign |Row 7 title = |Row 7 info = }} Rhodri Brancaster is a Private in the Stormwind Army heavy infantry regiment the King's Own Wickhamshire Highlanders. He's a man on the cusp of his prime years, seeking adventure and personal wealth. Appearance At 6'4 and 240 pounds, tall and strong are the words that come to mind when beholding Rhodri Brancaster. His thick neck sits upon broad shoulders, beneath which is a barrelled chest and a sculpted core. His back is wide and built, and below is a powerful rump. Branching from his torso are a pair of long, tree-trunk-like arms, lined with corded muscle from upper arm to forearm. Beneath his posterior rest muscular and mighty legs. Immense thighs lead down to thick, well-muscled calves with high insertions. Rhodri's composition is of big, lean muscles; veins present themselves through his skin to complete his statuesque physique. Quite clearly, Rhodri is a top level athlete in every sense. His face could be described as handsome by most standards, but definitely not beautiful. Masculine features compose Rhodri's face, with a pair of intelligent brown eyes sitting either side of his large nose. His teeth are slightly crooked on the bottom, giving him an endearing lopsided smile. Beneath is a strong chin and chiseled jawline. Rhodri's attractiveness comes equal parts from his looks as it does from his cheerful disposition. Perhaps he would be intimidating if it weren't for the way his face crinkled when he unleashed his contagious laugh. From the way he holds his face he is clearly a friendly and confident soul, perhaps arrogant in the eyes of some. Family History The Brancasters can trace their family history to the first settlers of Elwynn Forest. Since then, they have maintained their place as a family of artisans. Master carpenters in their own right, the town of Mersey-upon-Wyre is said to have been built around their services; the Brancaster Woodworker's Company is situated in the middle of the town's business centre. The family takes pride in its status as some of the kingdom's best carpenters, and their business employs the service of many of the area's manual labourers. As a result, the Brancaster family has amassed more wealth in its time than many lower-tier noble families. Edric Brancaster now runs the business with the help of his eldest sons, Romund and Jon. The Davis family are too descended from the first Elwynn men. They are a family of blacksmiths, owning a smithy beside the carpenter's. Known for their abilities as nailsmiths as much as swordsmiths and armorers, they have worked closely with the Brancasters for centuries. They also provide arms and armor to the nobility and military forces of the area. Subsequently, they're the second richest family in the time of Mersey-upon-Wyre. Merrin Davis operates the smithy with his daughter Lauren. Prior to her death, his older sister Janelle owned the business. Aside from work, both families are known for producing some of the kingdom's greatest athletes. Over centuries many Brancasters have taken gold medals in sprinting and other track-and-field events while the Davises area of expertise is the fighting ring. Childhood Born on the 2nd of July 16 L.C. to a family of 4, Rhodri's entry into this word was rather violent. A 24 hour labour took its toll on his mother Janelle, killing her and nearly killing him if it weren't for the obstetrician's expertise. As a result, Rhodri's father became an abusive drunk, blaming his third born son for the death of his wife. If it weren't for the love of his older brothers, Romund and Jon, Rhodri's formative years would have left him a deranged adult, rather than the very sane one he is today. Due to his rough experience of home life, Rhodri found his respite in school and athletics. From a very young age he was a keen sportsman, displaying his excellence both on the sportsfield. In particular he was a very fast runner, following in the footsteps of many of his ancestors. From the age of 8 he became a competitive runner, placing gold in every local race he took part in; 100 m to 10,000 m. At the same time his grandfather Jon Davis, who was a champion fighter back in his heyday, trained him how to fight both with a blade without. As far his schooling, Rhodri had a particular affinity for mathematics and the sciences. By the time he was 12, Rhodri developed into a star athlete and began a strict training regimen for the sprints. Teenage Years Rhodri hit puberty early, getting his first growth spurt at the tender age of 9. By the time he reached 13, Rhodri stood head and shoulders above his peers at 5'11 and weighing a muscular 160 lbs. He continued to be an all round high achiever, amassing a small fortune in gold medals and trophies. At age 16 he began competing at the provincial level for his age group, taking the competitions by storm and being touted as the next great runner from Stormwind as he showed a particular affinity for the 100 m sprint. Unfortunately his life at home wasn't so successful enduring near constant beatings at the hands of his father. Still, Rhodri kept a positive mindset. Thoughts of future grandeur gave him the strength to continue, and with the support of his older brothers he pursued a higher level of merit than ever achieved in his family before. Young Adulthood At age 18, Rhodri capped off at the impressive height of 6'4 and weighed a lean 190 lbs and was all set to pursue a career as a top class sprinter. That was until June of that year, when an athletic tournament was being held in the honour of some nobleman's newborn son. Fighters and athletes poured in from around the kingdom to showcase their talents and Rhodri was amongst them, racing for the first time against fully grown men in the 100 m sprints. Rhodri cruised through the heats and landed in the finals with relative ease. The final race was Rhodri's from the get-go, with a perfect start putting him paces ahead of the opposition before they even reached the 40th metre. He finished the race with a record time of 10.16 seconds, a record that still stands in the Kingdom of Stormwind to this day. After Rhodri's masterful performance, one of the other competitors who happened to be military trained became enraged that he had been so thoroughly beaten by an 18 year old kid. Thus, a fight broke out and after trading a few blows, the other man knocked Rhodri out. After coming to, Rhodri noticed two things; some of his bottom teeth had been shoved backwards by the man's knockout punch, and that he had yet another gold medal wrapped around his neck. Rhodri stumbled to where his father and brother were staying at the tournament grounds. For one reason or another, his father Edric was drunker and more abusive than usual. Rhodri, who'd had his arse handed to him already that day, had enough and fought back for the first time. After years of abuse the vengeance felt sweet. He overpowered his father and lay into him with all of his might. He beat him within an inch of his life and would've claimed it if it weren't for the dual restraints of his two older brothers. He escaped their grasp and quite literally fled the scene with nothing but the clothes on his back and the medal around his neck. Rhodri made his way to Stormwind and sold his medal. With the money he acquired he paid for room and board. To make ends meet he became a manual labourer, working as a stevedore and a shipbuilder in the city's harbour. Upon arriving in the city he was heralded as a celebrity, as many recognized his face and name as the record-breaking sprinter. This didn't last however, as after a year or so of blue collar work he faded into obscurity. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't an adept worker like many Brancasters before him, and he was soon fired from his employment for poor quality work. Unable to pay for his rent, Rhodri became homeless and turned to crime to make money. He stole from markets and chatted up older rich women, only to get them drunk enough to steal their purses. He slept on benches and roadsides, and would often wake up to find all of his belongings had been whisked away in the night. The lack of sustenance was detrimental to Rhodri's health, and brought him down to the rail-thin weight of 178 lbs. After a particularly rough night in the slums shortly after his 20th birthday, Rhodri considered suicide. That morning he found an information pamphlet about the Stormwind Army. Figuring that they could provide him with food, stable income, shelter, and work-- and that he didn't exactly have any other alternatives--, he signed himself up for service. Military Service ~ "Rhodri Brancaster... do I know ye from somewhere?" the recruiter asked, studying the tall, thin man before him. Rhodri thought about a few years ago when he was known as the fastest man in the kingdom. "Probably not." he replied, heaving a sigh. "Cheer up son. Yer in for a treat now. Yer signin' up for the finest forces on Azeroth. We'll put some meat on yer bones yet."~ Rhodri signed up for the Stormwind Army and began basic training in the midsummer heat of July. He flew through all the physical tests with flying colors, and quickly mastered drill and marching among the other recruits of his intake. As the army provided him with a steady supply of high-energy foods, Rhodri quickly regained the weight he had lost, rising to 200 lbs by the time basic training concluded. From there he was a candidate for the King's Own Wickhamshire Highlanders, as his stature and history interested those in charge of the heavy infantry regiment. Rhodri barely passed their rigorous strength tests --though he regained weight, not all of it was in the form of muscle-- but absolutely demolished his competitors in the others. He was inducted into the regiment's specialized training program. From there, Rhodri learned how to properly wear and maneuver in plate armor, fight with an arming sword and heater shield, and fight in formation as a team. He was placed into the excellent hands of Lieutenant Auldan Longbrooke, who instilled in Rhodri and the other men of his platoon discipline and calm under stress, leading to their incredible effectiveness as a unit in training exercises. This was exemplified in the final stage of training the regiment's recruits undergo: a week long war game where the 6 companies of each battalion split by half into groups of 3 and face the other half in the highlands of Avorraine (each battalion gets its own week). Rhodri's platoon, lead by Lieutenant Longbrooke, took his team to victory after being the last platoon left in training exercise up against 3-1 odds. The unit fought cohesively and with ruthless efficiency, earning the plaudits of the regiment's high command in the process. By the time Rhodri completed the specialized training he had gained another substantial weight in muscle, shooting up to 240 lbs. He passed the post-training physical evaluations with ease and was sworn into the Stormwind Army at the rank of Private. Now Rhodri prepares for deployment to the Broken Isles alongside the men of his regiment, learning battle plans and procedures and maintaining physical fitness. Category:Soldiers Category:Characters Category:Human Category:Stormwindian